


The 1500: Louisa

by Burgie



Category: Star Stable Online
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-05
Updated: 2019-06-21
Packaged: 2020-04-08 04:53:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19100119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burgie/pseuds/Burgie
Summary: Louisa's story, from teenager meeting her lifelong equine companion to adult woman with a collection of friends and horses, told through a series of stories, each 1500 words long and each related. See how she became the woman she is today.





	1. 1. Westie

Foaling season was always Louisa’s favourite time of the year. The ranch only had a few mares, being more of a little family establishment breeding horses mostly for local fun events, but there were always a few new cute little faces every spring. In her family, it was a tradition for each family member to get a horse of their own to train and raise when they were sixteen years old. Most people got their drivers license at that age, and so did Louisa, but one of the patriarchs, many years ago, had decreed that if they were deemed responsible enough to drive a car, they were responsible enough to take on the responsibility of a horse.

When Louisa got the message that the mare her mother had picked out for her had foaled, she cycled home from the bus stop faster than she’d ever done before, going straight to the stables instead of the house. She swung her backpack off her back, the bike falling to the ground, and ran over to the paddock where a tiny chestnut foal was just taking his very first steps.

“Is he mine?” Louisa asked, her eyes shining as she beheld the tiny creature. She hung on the fence as she always did, feet on the bottom railing and arms hooked over the top railing.

“He sure is,” said her mother, grinning at her. “Come say hi, Ruby’s gentle. And you have to start thinking of a name for him.”

With her heart soaring, Louisa climbed over the fence and swung herself down into the dusty paddock before walking over to where the foal still stayed close to his mother.

“Hi,” said Louisa, holding her hand out. Ruby nudged him gently, trying to urge him closer to Louisa. Louisa waited, trying to remember to breathe, and had to laugh when the foal hid behind his mother.

“He’ll come ‘round,” said her mother. “Go do your homework or something, then you can come back.”

For the rest of that week, Louisa spent every spare minute at the family stables. At first, the little chestnut foal still shied away from Louisa, staying close to his mother. But gradually, he started to approach Louisa. Mostly when she sat by the fence quietly reading. The first time she looked up, the little foal squealed and bolted away back to his mother.

By the end of the week, though, Louisa’s mother found her petting the tiny foal’s soft chestnut coat. He had a little spot on his forehead, but that seemed like such a typical name.

Months passed with the foal still not gaining a name. Louisa tried many, but none seemed right for the little guy.

“You can’t keep calling him ‘the foal’,” said her younger sister Casey.

“I know,” said Louisa. “But I just can’t think of one for him.”

“What about Rusty?” her youngest sister Gabby asked.

“That’s more like a name for a cat,” said Louisa. “He needs a better name.”

“You could try naming him in the Jorvegian style,” said her aunt Martine. Louisa looked up at her from where she sat in one of the box stalls with her foal half in her lap. The little guy had tuckered himself out playing with her.

“What do you mean?” Louisa asked. 

“Two names put together,” said Martine, leaning on the stall door. “Like Icefriend or Starsong or Westwind.”

“Westwind,” said Louisa, trying it on. Something about the name resonated with her, seemed right. But maybe not ‘wind’… “No, that seems like the name for a racer. I think little Westie’s going to be more of a trail horse or a pleasure horse. For trail rides, you know?”

“Rider?” Martine suggested. The foal picked his head up at the sound.

“You like that name?” Louisa asked her foal. “Westrider?” The foal gave a little nicker, slowly getting to his hooves. Louisa grinned, standing to stroke a hand down his back. He wiggled his little stub of a tail. “Westrider it is.”

The next few years seemed to pass in a blur. Louisa spent every spare minute with Westie, the bond between them growing with every moment spent together. It wasn’t long before the little chestnut foal had turned into a yearling, ready to begin proper training.

“Don’t forget about your studies while you’re training him, now,” her mother warned her, seeing Louisa’s discarded schoolbag and bike near the paddock fence while Louisa trained her horse with the lunge.

“I won’t,” said Louisa, not taking her eyes from Westie as he cantered around her. And her grades had still been good lately, even if she had been doing most things at the last possible minute. Nothing else seemed to matter when she had Westie.

Westie was finally ready to ride just in time for the annual Ride for Cancer a few years after his birth. Louisa had practiced riding him in the hills around her home, testing him out on all kinds of terrain. Like many of the other horses on the ranch, Westie was solid and reliable on even the toughest terrain. Much like her car, though she drove less often than she rode. If she had her way, she’d ride everywhere. Driving was nice, yes, but there was nothing quite like the feeling of companionship that she got with Westie. When it was just her and her horse on the trails, nothing else seemed to matter.

The day of the ride, Louisa saddled up Westie and packed her saddlebags full of supplies. The ride would be long, she knew, and taxing on some horses. They’d even camp, which was why she had her swag over the back of her horse. Westie was raring to go, as excited as his rider. And, thanks to taking him to Pony Club a few times, he was well-used to the other horses and enjoyed their company. He even liked the new horses that showed up for the ride. But, while Louisa’s friends all cooed over the boys, Louisa was more interested in their horses.

“That paint one’s so pretty,” said Louisa, looking at a chestnut overo mare. Unfortunately, Westie had been gelded, though there was probably no chance of breeding them anyway.

“And so is her rider, don’t you think?” said Louisa’s best friend Stacey, nudging her. Louisa looked to where her friend was pointing, seeing a brown-haired boy with a cowboy hat on clad in a chequered red and white shirt and faded blue jeans. 

“Yeah, he looks just like a real cowboy,” said Louisa.

“He’s my brother,” said Stacey. “You should go say hi.”

“I’ll ride with him,” said Louisa.

And, when the group set off, Louisa did ride beside Stacey’s brother, who was called Josh. He didn’t go to pony club, seeing it as more of a girl’s thing, but he’d seen Louisa ride a few times. Louisa wasn’t sure how his compliments made her feel. Flattered, certainly, but she knew that he was flirting. He was handsome, he was flirting with her, and yet Louisa felt nothing. Just like she’d felt nothing for any other guy. Was there something wrong with her? All girls liked guys, didn’t they? Wasn’t that just what was normal?

The group travelled all day, eventually finding a nice place to stop for the night. Louisa chatted with Josh, finding herself enjoying his company. Maybe that was enough. Maybe that was something that would grow into something more. Josh was just as good-looking as his sister, too. So he had that going for him. And he was nice and he loved his mare, who was called Cinnamon or just Cinna. And he told good jokes and made Louisa laugh. Her friends certainly seemed to think that there was something going on.

The next morning, Louisa rose with the sun, as she always did. There was a nice little ridge to watch the sunrise from, the rock beneath Louisa still freezing cold through her jeans. She shivered, even with her heavy knitted jumper on.

Josh emerged from his tent, walking over to sit with Louisa. She looked at him, smiled, and then looked back at the pinkening sky.

“You’re up early,” said Josh.

“Worth it for this view,” said Louisa. “I always get up early anyway. Is that weird?” Why was she nervous now?

“Certainly a nice view,” said Josh. Louisa could feel his eyes on her. Her heart pounded, but she wasn’t sure if this was attraction.

“It is,” said Louisa. “And then I’ve got the whole day to do with what I want.” Josh nodded, making an affirmative noise in his throat.

“So, I know we’re on a trail ride and can’t right now, but when we get back home, did you maybe wanna go on a trail ride with me?” Josh asked, sounding as nervous as Louisa felt. She looked at him, worried now. But this was fine. Everyone did this. It was just a normal part of being a teenager.

“Sure,” said Louisa, unexpectedly happy at the idea. “I’d like that.”

“Sweet,” said Josh, his whole face lighting up. “Just you and me, Cinna and Westie. It’ll be great. We could ride around the property where I live, there are some nice trails.”

“That sounds amazing,” said Louisa. She’d always wondered what it was like at Stacey’s, her friend had always come over to her place for trail rides. Now, she’d finally get the chance to find out. And if Westie was there, everything would be fine.


	2. The Last Rodeo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Louisa enters her first (and last) rodeo. And she sees a face that will become very familiar in the future...

The showground in the town that Louisa lived near was very busy at only a few times of the year- for the annual sheep festival, the annual springtime show, and any horse events that were on. This was one of the latter events, the air filled with the scents of deep fried food, barbecue, cigarette smoke, dust, and horses. Louisa liked this last smell the best, of course, and the smells of food. It reminded her of a childhood spent here, sitting on her mother’s shoulders to get a glimpse of the horses being ridden around the arena. She’d always wanted to take part in the rodeo, though, ever since she was a little girl. And now, Westie was waiting in the stable while Louisa wandered around the showground, trying to fight the nerves.

“Hey,” said Josh, joining her as she walked in the direction of sideshow alley. Louisa turned to smile at him.

“Hi,” said Louisa, unsure if the butterflies were for romantic reasons or something else. It was probably just nerves about the rodeo that she’d entered, though. Josh was comfortable, she never really felt nervous around him.

“Want me to win you a giant teddy?” Josh asked, linking his hand with hers. 

“Sure,” said Louisa, already more comfortable with him here. “I’d like that.”

“Then watch the master show you how it’s done,” said Josh, pulling her towards the game that involved throwing a ball at a stack of little metal pipes that were probably supposed to represent cans.

“Hey there! Wanna win something nice for your girlfriend?” the guy running the game asked, spotting them.

“I wouldn’t be a good boyfriend if I didn’t,” said Josh. Being called his girlfriend felt good, even if Louisa still didn’t feel anything for him. There was a tenderness, but she loved her horse more than she loved this guy. Maybe it was just him, or maybe it would happen in time. She’d heard that love usually developed in time. Maybe this was just how relationships worked, though she wasn’t about to ask one of her friends for advice. They were so happy for her, happy that she was with Josh, she didn’t want them to think that they were headed for splitsville.

But then Josh took Louisa’s hand, and she stopped worrying.

“Blow on the ball, it might give it some extra luck,” said Josh. Louisa smiled and leaned in, blowing on the three balls that Josh held in his hand. With a grin, he jumped away from her and pulled his arm back to throw the first ball. It knocked down the top ‘can’ but didn’t touch the other two.

“Ooh, bad luck, try again,” said the man running it. Josh frowned and pursed his lips before throwing the second ball, which succeeded in taking off the next top one and shaking the bottom two.

“Third time’s the charm?” Josh asked, looking at Louisa. “I’d ask you to kiss it for luck but who knows where these have been, huh?” Louisa laughed.

“I know and I wish I didn’t,” said the carny. “Definitely don’t kiss the ball, who knows what you’ll catch.” He chuckled.

“Maybe you should kiss me for luck instead,” said Josh.

“Sure,” said Louisa, moving over to him. The kiss was another thing that didn’t seem right, she’d expected sparks to fly or for herself to feel something. But it was like kissing a family member, only on the lips. Josh seemed to feel something, though, he always looked dewy-eyed when they parted. She was a little glad that he hadn’t asked for anything more than kisses and cuddles yet, she wasn’t sure how she’d manage that.

“Okay, let’s see if that worked,” said Josh, though he trembled slightly as he wound up to strike at the last stack. It toppled over, making Josh grin. Louisa cheered, then yelped as Josh pulled her into a more passionate kiss this time.

“You did it!” Louisa cheered, grinning from ear to ear. Maybe that kiss had helped, even without any of the spark that was supposed to be there.

“Thanks to you, my good luck charm,” said Josh. “Should come to the footy one night, you might help me win.”

“Maybe I will,” said Louisa. There were lights, she could probably read a book or something. Or she might watch it, it might even be fun.

“Now, unfortunately, you’ve only got a small prize today,” said the carny. “But if you keep playing, you might win a bigger one. Whaddya say, two extra balls for an extra five dollars?”

“Um,” said Louisa when Josh and the carny both looked at her. She checked the time on her watch, gasping when she saw that it was an hour before the rodeo started. “Actually, I have to go, Westie needs to be warmed up and everything.”

“We’ll just take the small prize, then,” said Josh. “You can pick it out.”

“This one,” said Louisa, snatching up a white unicorn with a pale blue mane and tail. The colour was familiar, yet she couldn’t put her finger on where she’d seen it before. It was definitely pretty, though. The horn and hooves sparkled in the sunlight.

“A good luck charm of your own?” Josh asked, smiling as Louisa hugged the little plush unicorn to her chest.

“Mm-hm,” Louisa hummed in affirmation, nodding. “Hopefully this one works well.”

“Maybe you should kiss it,” said Josh. Louisa grinned and pressed a kiss to the little unicorn’s snout.

After warming up Westie and hyping herself up a little, Louisa waited behind the gate that would bring her into the rodeo. Westie looked as nervous as Louisa felt, and Louisa wished that she could take her unicorn plush with her. But she’d had to leave it behind with Josh, though he held it up to his chest like it was a newborn. Louisa couldn’t help but smile at the sight as she caught a glimpse of him. He even picked up one of the unicorn’s front legs and waved it at her.

Louisa watched the few riders before her, trying to get control of an out of control colt or trying to rope a calf or even just trying to get a horseshoe over a post while on horseback. It all seemed to pass so quickly, though. Louisa heard her heart in her ears, felt it in her throat, tasted something metallic. She was shaking. She almost screamed when Josh suddenly appeared on the fence beside her.

“You look nervous,” said Josh, giving her his trademark grin. “Kiss for luck?” Louisa nodded, hoping that it would work. But maybe it wouldn’t because of the lack of feeling. She didn’t know. “You’re gonna do great, Louisa. I believe in you.”

“Thanks,” said Louisa, giving him a grin. And then the gate opened, and Louisa felt her heart sink into her stomach. The little calf in the middle of the arena looked so small, so scared. But Louisa coiled the rope around her hand, as she’d practiced, and nudged Westie out into the arena.

The calf bolted as soon as it saw the horse, and Louisa gave chase, readying the lasso as she chased after the little bellowing calf. She heard a heifer bellowing nearby, and her blood froze in her veins. The calf was separated from its mother? In terror, with its mother so closeby? It seemed so cruel.

Shaking the thought away, not wanting to look weak, Louisa flung the lasso over the calf’s head, pulling it tight around its neck. The calf bellowed but couldn’t go far as Louisa got closer to it. It looked so scared, eyes huge, tears running down its nose. Louisa dismounted, though, and readied to tie the calf’s hooves together. She could hear the crowd whooping and cheering and clapping, egging her on. But… she couldn’t do it. Looking into the calf’s eyes, hearing its bellows and the bellows from its mother, Louisa felt her heart break.

“I-I can’t,” said Louisa, and then repeated it louder. “I can’t do it! I’m sorry!”

Tears in her eyes, Louisa fled the arena, swinging up into Westie’s saddle and riding back outside. The calf ran after her, the rope dragging along the ground.

Josh found her hiding in Westie’s stall, her horse standing with his head lowered so that she could pet his ears and nose from where she sat on the ground.

“Louisa?” Josh asked, looking down at her. “What happened back there? You just… freaked out.”

“I’m sorry,” said Louisa, guilt making her feel numb. “I thought I could do it but I saw that calf and I just… couldn’t.”

“It’s okay to be soft,” said Josh, sinking down beside her. Louisa sniffed, looking at her boots. “Not everyone’s cut out for rodeo life, and that’s okay.”

“But what am I supposed to do now?” Louisa asked. “This was my dream job growing up, and now… I’m so stupid.”

“Hey, you’re anything but stupid, so get that out of your head,” said Josh. “It’s okay, you can do other horse-related things. You could be a trail guide or work on a horse ranch or train race horses…”

“Maybe,” said Louisa. “I’ll think about it. I just don’t want to do this. And now I feel like I can’t show my face again.”

“Well, much as I wouldn’t mind having your pretty face all to myself, the others are waiting to see you,” said Josh. “When you’re ready. But I’m cool with hanging out with Westie for a bit more.”

“Thank you,” said Louisa, finally looking into Josh’s gentle face. He kissed her, but then rummaged in his pockets and pulled out a familiar face.

“Here you go,” said Josh. “He might help you cheer up.”

“Thank you,” said Louisa again, grinning as she hugged the plush unicorn to her chest. Somehow, that little stuffed doll made her feel so much better. Like things really would be okay eventually.


	3. The Gay Awakening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Louisa's old friend comes out to her and makes her start rethinking everything.

After the disaster that was the rodeo, Louisa didn’t show her face around the showground or at Pony Club for a long time. The mere thought of returning there filled her with dread, making her feel just a little light-headed. But that was okay. There were plenty of trails in the mountains that surrounded her home, trails that she and Westie greatly enjoyed exploring. But she’d known that this isolation couldn’t last forever. She missed Stacey, only seeing her when she went over to visit Josh. Not that that was going too great, either.

As Louisa rode back to the family house after one such exploration of the trails, though, she slowed Westie to a walk at the sight of an unfamiliar car parked outside the family house. Maybe Stacey had gotten a new car? She knew that it didn’t belong to one of her sisters, she knew their cars well by now. Besides, they always parked in the shed.

One of the family dogs ran up to greet Louisa with licks and barks once she’d put Westie away and walked towards the house.

“Hey, Brunie,” Louisa cooed to him, rubbing his ears as she looked over his head. The dog dropped back to all fours before running back towards the house. Pulling her shoes off at the door, Louisa headed inside, her dog following her.

“Louisa! Good timing, the jug’s just boiled,” said her mother from the kitchen. Louisa hung her hat on the hat rack, already looking around for the stranger.

“Who’s car’s outside?” Louisa asked, joining her mother in the kitchen to help with making tea.

“Oh, that’s right, you haven’t been to Pony Club lately,” said her mother. “It’s Mira’s new car, she just got her P’s not long ago.”

“Oh yeah,” said Louisa. She hadn’t heard from Mira in a while, too caught up with Josh and studying for her final exams. These were the ones that mattered, after all, the HSC that would decide which university course she’d get into. If she decided to go to uni. She’d wanted to, once upon a time, but now, she wasn’t so sure. A lot of things had changed recently, and with her disastrous first rodeo, everything was all up in the air. It made her sad, to think about it.

Mira was sitting in the dining room, chatting to Louisa’s sisters. Louisa couldn’t help but notice that there was a rainbow-coloured rubber wristband around Mira’s wrist. When Mira saw Louisa, her face lit up.

“Oh, hey, Louisa,” said Mira, grinning. “I was wondering when you’d get back.”

“Yeah, just taking a ride with Westie,” said Louisa, shrugging. “He doesn’t judge me.” She gave a laugh that sounded a little flat, and Mira gave her a sympathetic look and got up to hug her.

“It’s okay,” said Mira. “Nobody’s talking about you anymore. Not since I shared my news.”

“Oh, your new car, yeah,” said Louisa, sitting down at the table near Mira. “Looks pretty nice. Does it handle well?”

“I kind of tested it out coming here,” said Mira with a nervous laugh, playing with a strand of her short, curly brown hair. “It handles it like a dream.”

“Sounds like you made a good choice with it, then,” said Louisa, nodding.

“But that wasn’t my news,” said Mira, her finger now tugging nervously at her new wristband. “I came out to the club.”

“Came out?” Louisa repeated. “What does that mean?”

“Well, I… like girls,” said Mira. “Romantically. And… I want a girlfriend, not a boyfriend.”

“Oh,” said Louisa. “I didn’t even know that was a thing.” Sure, she’d heard some kids at school call other kids ‘gay’ and various other derogatory terms, but she’d never put much thought into it. It always seemed like such a bad thing, to be gay. But Mira… she made it sound so normal. So simple. Maybe… maybe that was why she didn’t feel any strong connection to Josh.

“I didn’t either until I decided to do some research,” said Mira. “But now, everything makes sense. The way I feel closer to girls, the way I just don’t understand boys and don’t really want anything to do with them. It feels like a weight’s been lifted.”

“Huh,” said Louisa. “Thanks for telling me, you’ve really given me something to think about.”

“In the good way, I hope,” said Mira. “I came all the way out here hoping that you wouldn’t be such a bitch about it. You’ve always seemed so understanding about everything before. So kind. So caring.”

“Yeah, of course,” said Louisa, nodding. “I wish I could’ve been there to defend you.”

“Your boyfriend tried, at least,” said Mira. “Which was sweet of him. And then he quickly changed the subject while I made my escape in tears. Took me days to muster up the courage to come see you.”

“You should stay over,” said Louisa. “I really want to talk about this more.” She had so many questions now, so much that she had to figure out. That and she felt bad for not being there when Mira needed her. Mira was one of her oldest friends, the girl that she loved to goof off with. She used to stay here all the time, but then, she’d just stopped. Louisa had always wondered why, maybe this was why?

“Wow, that’s the complete opposite reaction I was expecting,” said Mira with a laugh, the gleam of tears in her blue eyes. “I think I’ll take you up on that offer. Thank you, Louisa.”

“No problem,” said Louisa. “There’s always room for you on my floor.”

That night, in the darkness, Louisa and Mira talked.

“Why did you stop visiting?” Louisa asked.

“Because I started to notice… you,” said Mira. “And I felt bad, I felt guilty, I felt like it was wrong and that I’d make my feelings known and you’d push me away.”

“Oh,” said Louisa. Somehow, the idea of Mira noticing her didn’t fill her with nerves the same way it had when Josh had first noticed her. “Do you think I could be…?”

“What? Gay?” Mira asked. Louisa nodded. The idea wasn’t as repulsive as she’d thought it would be. It made sense in a way that not much did.

“Yeah, even though I have a boyfriend,” said Louisa. “But I think I’m just going out with him because he likes me and I don’t want him to feel bad. I’ve never really noticed boys, I always thought there was something wrong with me.”

“There’s not,” said Mira, looking directly at Louisa. “There’s really not anything wrong with you, Louisa.”

“How do you know you like someone?” Louisa asked.

“Well, it’s when you want to spend every minute of every day with them, when you want to be close to them, when you want to do crazy things like kiss them,” said Mira. “That’s how I felt about you. That’s why I had to stay away, because I knew I wouldn’t have been able to help myself.”

“That makes sense,” said Louisa. “I wonder what would’ve happened if you’d told me back then. If you hadn’t stayed away.” Maybe then, she wouldn’t have been so confused, wouldn’t have felt so wrong.

“What if I kissed you?” Mira asked. It took Louisa a moment to understand what she’d said.

“Right now?” Louisa asked. Mira nodded.

“I might not like you like that anymore but… the way you feel about it might help you figure it out,” said Mira. “That’s how I knew. Because the idea of kissing a girl made me feel nervous. And not in the way that I was doing something wrong.”

“There’s something else, too,” said Louisa, the words rising to her lips in her anxiety. “When I um… watch porn, I don’t like the look of… you know, dicks. Naked women look really nice but naked men are just… and I don’t want to have sex with Josh. The idea makes me feel weird. Not in the good way.”

“Some girls have dicks too,” said Mira. “But don’t worry, you’ll learn a lot when you start looking into our community. And that right there is a pretty big hint that you don’t actually like boys.”

“Does that make me a bitch?” Louisa asked.

“Some guys would say yes,” said Mira. “But Josh is a really nice guy, I think he’d be understanding.”

“I need to tell him,” said Louisa. “It’s mean to keep lying to him.”

“Want me to come with you?” Mira asked.

“Yes please,” said Louisa. “But are you sure that’s okay? I wasn’t there for you, and…” She was crying now, the tears leaking into her pillow. In an instant, Mira’s arms were around her. It felt warm. Right.

Louisa had never been more nervous in her life as she waited for Josh the next day. She’d invited him to her house, figuring that they could go out in the orchard and talk. Mira, as she’d promised, was there, holding Louisa’s hand reassuringly. The sight of Josh’s car made her heart leap into her throat. It was time.

“Hey, Louisa,” said Josh, moving in to kiss her in greeting. Louisa moved her head, though, so that he merely kissed her cheek.

“Hey,” said Louisa, giving him a nervous smile. “Let’s go talk in the orchard.”

“I’ll tag along,” said Mira. “If that’s alright with you.” She was fiddling with her wristband again.

“Good to see you two friends again,” said Josh as Mira followed them into the orchard. Louisa was glad for the distraction, taking a few moments to steel her nerves.

“Yeah, who knew coming out would give me so much confidence?” said Mira. “I feel like I’m finally being the authentic me.”

“You okay, Louisa?” Josh asked, seeing how nervous she looked.

“Yeah, it’s just-“ said Louisa, her heart thumping. She was shaking all over, so Josh took her hands in his own. He was so nice, how could she break his heart like this? A few tears slipped down her cheeks. “I’m so sorry, Josh, I can’t do this.”

“Can’t do what?” Josh asked. “Louisa?” Louisa shook her head, wishing that he’d stop being so nice.

“I don’t love you,” said Louisa. “I wanted to, though! I really wanted to, especially because you were so nice and it’s so unfair but I only like you as a friend.”

“Hey, that’s okay,” said Josh. “You shouldn’t be with someone just because.”

“But I know you like me,” said Louisa. “Aren’t you mad?” She didn’t want him to be, of course she didn’t, but he was barely reacting at all.

“No,” said Josh, shaking his head. “I’m upset, yeah, but I know I’m your first relationship. How long have you felt like this?”

“A while,” said Louisa. “I just kept hoping that someday it’d happen, but it just… never did. I’m sorry.”

“You can’t control your heart,” said Josh. “Nobody can. Much as we’d like to.”

“I don’t even know if I like boys,” said Louisa. “And it’s not your fault, it really isn’t. I just have some thinking to do. Experimenting, I guess.”

“We’ll just tell people that it didn’t work out,” said Josh. “Don’t need everyone saying I turned a girl gay. I know that’s not what happened but everyone will be saying it.”

“Yeah,” said Louisa. “Good thing school’s nearly over, huh?”

“I wanna hug you but I’m not sure if I should,” said Josh. “Since we’re broken up now.”

“Thank you,” said Louisa. She was more broken up about this than Josh was, maybe she did love him? Or maybe it was just that uncertainty, that feeling that she was standing on the precipice and everything she’d ever known was gone. What was she going to do now?


	4. Breakaway

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just when everything seems to be falling apart, an opportunity falls in Louisa's lap.

The day of Louisa’s graduation from high school should have been a celebration. And yes, it was nice to dance with her friends and give each other well-wishes for the future. Even if Louisa and Josh didn’t go as a couple. Their breakup had shaken the school, easily eclipsing Mira’s news. Everyone felt so sorry for Josh, for Louisa. But, as Josh had promised, he didn’t tell anyone the real reason. And Louisa didn’t tell anyone about what she was currently experimenting with. Not that she could even do that much, not with exams looming. And she managed those just fine, even with everything falling down around her. At least she had control of her grades. And Westie, ever the faithful companion. But, though she’d given away most of the things that reminded her of Josh, she couldn’t bring herself to part with her unicorn plush. Starshine, her aunt had named it. Apparently, the unicorn was the spitting image of one of the Soul Horses, Starshine. Louisa hadn’t heard that story in a long time.

After her last exam, Louisa went for a ride with Westie after having a celebratory lunch with her family. Her father had even video called her to congratulate her on finishing her exams. But, after all of that fanfare, Louisa just wanted to be alone with her horse.

“What am I going to do, Westie?” Louisa asked, rubbing her horse’s ears. Westie nickered. Sometimes, it was almost like he could understand her. From up here in the mountains, she could see the whole family farm sprawled out before her. Maybe that would be her future now. Just a life on the family farm. And sure, she loved her family, loved her home, but… she’d always thought that there was more for life for her. That she’d travel or at least get out of the small town that she called home.

Louisa stayed out until stars began to appear in the sky, finally returning to the main house in darkness.

“Good ride?” her mother asked. Louisa smiled, though it felt forced.

“Yeah,” said Louisa. “I’ll have a lot more time for that now, I guess.”

“Aren’t you going to uni?” her aunt Martine asked, overhearing the conversation from the kitchen where she was cooking dinner tonight.

“Nah,” said Louisa, shaking her head. “I’m done with learning, I think. But I dunno what I wanna do for a job, either.”

“Sometimes it takes a while to figure out what to do with your life,” said her mother. “Take your time, though.”

“But everyone else has got everything figured out already,” said Louisa. “Uni or tafe or gap years or apprenticeships or work…”

“You just finished your final exam,” said her mother. “Take a breather. Go for trail rides with Westie, you can do plenty of thinking. You don’t have to go away for a gap year, you know.”

“I feel like getting away, though,” said Louisa. “Maybe I could stay with dad for a bit? But you guys probably need me here on the farm.”

“If you stay with your dad, you’d finally be going to Jorvik,” said her aunt, coming out of the kitchen wiping her hands on a tea towel. “Remember? You used to love the idea of Jorvik when you were little.”

“Jorvik?” said Louisa, furrowing her brow. “I dunno, it always seemed like such a fairytale.”

“It’s real,” said her aunt. “I’ve always wanted to go there. Might be a bit out of my price range, though. Oh, but you’re young, I heard about something in Jorvik the other day…”

“Martine, don’t drag Louisa into your cult,” her mother teased while Martine headed to the family office. Minutes later, Martine returned with a sheet of paper that was still warm from the printer. She handed it to Louisa.

“There you go,” said Martine, beaming at her. “The Jorvik Equine Institute has a program, it’s all about horses. But there’s just one tiny snag- to get in, you have to complete the Moorland Summer Program. It’s mostly for young riders but you qualify, I think.”

“So, it’s like a summer camp?” Louisa surmised after reading through the information printed on the paper. It seemed simple enough, and nice enough, too.

“Yep,” said Martine with a nod. “Seems right up your alley, don’t you think?”

“I’ll think about it,” said Louisa as her stomach growled. It looked very nice, yes. But was she really ready to pack up everything she’d ever known and move to the other side of the world for her future? Being away from home was one thing, but she wouldn’t even be in her own country anymore.

That night, Louisa put the piece of paper in her desk and thought no more of it. It was too much, too soon. Her mother was right, she had to just rest for a while. Let things settle. Besides, if she did want to move to Jorvik, she knew that it wouldn’t be cheap.

On a whim, Louisa googled how much it would be to move to Jorvik. It didn’t seem like such a fairytale anymore. It was a dream, albeit an expensive one. A goal. The next day, Louisa started looking for odd jobs. She could do farm work, she was good at that. Mustering cattle, working horses. Seasonal work at stables, pet sitting. The money was small, but she knew that it would add up. Especially once foaling season hit.

Two years passed, and Louisa’s bank account was looking better than it ever had before. In addition to the odd jobs, her mother had been giving her some money for doing extra work on the farm. She briefly considered entering horse shows but, after the rodeo, she didn’t dare. She had enough to move to Jorvik and enter the summer camp, but nerves still ate at her. Until finally, one night, her mind was finally made up. Routine was nice, but… she longed for an adventure.

“I’ve reached a decision about my future,” said Louisa as the family sat down for dinner. Her stomach clenched with nerves almost too much to eat, but it was only over how her family might take this.

“What is it?” her mother asked. “Are you going to be a vet or a horse trainer?”

“No,” said Louisa, shaking her head. “I’m… I’m going to move to Jorvik and do the summer program to get into Jorvik Equine Institute.” Once it was out, she felt like a weight had been lifted. Almost as if she’d spoken words of destiny. The idea of magic didn’t seem so crazy anymore. It felt as real as it had when she’d been a child. She was actually… excited about this.

“Oh, I was hoping you would!” Martine cheered.

“Are you sure?” Casey asked. “Jorvik’s so far away, we’ll miss you.”

“I know,” said Louisa. “I’ll miss you guys too. But I feel like this is what I’m supposed to do.”

“Your destiny,” said Martine, her eyes gleaming.

“Yeah, I guess,” said Louisa, rubbing her arm. “Please don’t be too mad.”

“Mad? Why would we be mad?” her mother asked. “We’ll miss you, of course we will, but if this is your dream, you should chase it.”

“Are you sure you can manage without me, though?” Louisa asked. “I’ve been doing so much here, after all…”

“You’ve got two strong sisters,” said her mother. “And we can always hire help if we need it. Go. Live your dream. Your younger self would cry if she could see you now.” Louisa beamed at her, tears standing in her eyes.

Weeks later, many tears were shed as the family saw Louisa off at the train station.

“Promise you’ll Skype us every night,” said Gabby.

“I promise,” said Louisa, hugging her tightly. “I’ll miss you guys so much.”

“Make sure to take plenty of pictures,” said Martine. “And see if you can find out anything about the Keepers of Aideen.”

“I’ll try,” said Louisa. “I’ll let you guys know when I get to the airport, and then when I land.” Her heart was pounding, she’d never been on a plane before. Never even been out of the country before. Getting her passport and everything had been interesting, but it had seemed to breeze by.

Now, Louisa stepped onto the train after more kisses and hugs and tearful goodbyes. She sat near the window and waved as the platform disappeared behind her, the train carrying her and her luggage off to her next step in life.

For the first hour, Louisa was crying too much to focus on her book. But at last, she slipped her earphones into her ears, wiped away her tears, and opened her book. The next step would be Newcastle, where she’d change trains to Sydney, and then a plane would take her to Jorvik. It would be a long journey, but Louisa wasn’t sure if she could sleep. Good thing she had a stack of books to keep her company, though. And her Starshine plushie. Maybe she’d always been destined for Jorvik.


	5. Homesick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Louisa arrives in Jorvik and is immediately swamped by homesickness.

Louisa had expected that coming to Jorvik would feel different. And she definitely felt a spark of something deep down inside when she stepped off the ferry that let her off at Cape West Fishing Village. The camp didn’t actually start for a few weeks, so Louisa was left to settle in at her dad’s place for a while. The ferry captain helped her with her luggage, which there was a lot of. She’d only packed up her entire life and moved it to the other side of the world, after all.

“This your first time being here?” he asked her. Louisa nodded silently, feeling too overwhelmed by everything. At least she could understand him, though, she’d made it a point to become fluent in Jorvegian before she moved here. “Ah, I recognise that look. Soak it all in, girl, enjoy the sights. Jorvik is a beautiful place, though I may be a tad biased.”

“I expected there to be more horses here,” said Louisa vaguely. She hadn’t slept half as much as she should have, being too excited about starting her ‘destiny’, so she felt like she was in a fog. A daze.

“Well, this is the fishing village,” said the ferry captain. “You won’t find many horses here, not unless you go to Goldenleaf Stables over Longbridge. Most of ‘em are around the Silverglade region, though, that’s where you’ll find all the pretty ponies. This little village here is probably the least equestrian place in Jorvik, ‘side from Jorvik City, o’course.” Louisa blinked at him, the information washing over her. The ferry captain only laughed at her confusion, clapping her on the back so that she stumbled a little.

“I’m sure I’ll find my feet eventually,” said Louisa with a shaky laugh. “And my land legs.”

“Aye, they always do,” said the captain, nodding. “Y’got family here, by any chance?”

“Yeah, my dad,” said Louisa. “He lives somewhere here. Sebastian Mcburg.”

“Oh, ol’ mate Seb the Scoundrel! He’s famous ‘round these parts for his fishing skills, ‘e is.”

“Really?” Louisa asked. “He always says he is but I thought he was just bragging.”

“Well, he has good reason to,” said the captain. “He worked his way to the top of the Jorvik Fishing Club in a matter of months. Can only wonder if his daughter will follow in his footsteps.”

“Maybe in the future,” said Louisa, giving him a grin. She felt shaky on the inside, though. Like she was standing on uneven ground, and not just from her sea legs or the water sucking at the piers. “I’m just here for the summer camp. To start with, anyway. And we’ll see where it takes me.”

“Ah, you truly are Seb’s daughter,” said the captain, grinning at her. He had one golden tooth, though the rest of his teeth were also stained yellow. “Ever the optimist, he is.”

“Is he here, do you know?” Louisa asked. “Or could you at least show me how to get to his house, please? I have no idea where I’m going.” In her vague state, she could feel the sadness deep down inside, the tears, but it never fully surfaced. Like it was stuffed beneath cotton wool. But maybe that was better- she didn’t really want to have a breakdown in front of this stranger.

“Thought you’d have texted or rung him by now,” said the captain.

“I forgot to get a new SIM before I left,” said Louisa. “So my phone’s pretty much useless here.” Her plan was to call her family back home using her dad’s phone, and she knew that they’d be eagerly awaiting it.

“This is your first overseas trip?” the captain asked. Louisa nodded, feeling suddenly shy. “Wow. You don’t do things by halves, do ya?”

“Got that from my dad,” said Louisa with a little laugh.

“Right, speaking of,” said the captain. “He’s probably still out fishin’ or helpin’ the novices in the fishing club. We manage to recruit a few of those every year. But I can show ya’ to ‘is house, easy.”

“Thank you,” said Louisa. She picked up one of the heavy bags and only stumbled a little as she followed the captain to a house that wasn’t all that far from the docks. It was a red single-storey weatherboard, far different to the house she’d grown up in. There were fishing nets strung along the front of the front veranda, drying in the sun, and a few dried starfish and seashells either strung in the net or placed around. She picked up one of the dried starfish on the little wooden table on the front veranda while the ferry captain fished around the flowerpot by the door for the key. Turning it over in her hand made it feel real, and she trembled slightly. But she wasn’t sure if that was from her feelings or just from how little sleep she’d had.

“Here you are!” the captain announced, opening the door for her. “Your new home sweet home. Make yourself comfortable, I’ll just let your dad know you’re here. Who knows, he might even come home early to see his girl.”

“I hope so,” said Louisa, smiling at him. “Thank you so much for helping me out like this. I never expected the people here to be so nice.” There were tears in her eyes again.

“Well, I can’t speak for everyone here, but this is Jorvik,” said the captain. “A lot of friendly people live here, ‘specially in this little village. You’ll be welcomed here with open arms, love. No matter your background.” His words settled deep in Louisa’s heart, making the tears spill over.

“Can I hug you?” Louisa asked. “I know you have to get back to work and you’re a stranger but I feel like I need a hug right now.”

“I was just about to offer one myself,” said the captain. Louisa hugged him tightly, trembling more from the emotion now. She hoped her dad would be home soon.

When the captain left, Louisa felt small and alone in this tiny house. Everything looked so unfamiliar, though there were a few photos of herself and her sisters adorning the walls. She even recognised the ratty green couch from her dad’s video calls.

Louisa’s feet took her from room to room, noticing as she went that her dad had cleaned this place up for her arrival. She smiled, though tears still ran freely down her cheeks and she felt too full of emotion. This was her home now, at least for the next few weeks. She’d have to get used to this tiny kitchen with its old appliances, this tiny bathroom (though it was impressively clean for a bachelor’s pad), this sad lack of any reading material. Now, she was glad that she’d brought along plenty of books with her. Though she’d have to buy more. And a SIM that would actually work in Jorvik.

Returning to the lounge room, Louisa picked up the handheld phone from its cradle and walked to her bedroom where she sat on the bed and dialled a number that she knew by heart. The familiar voices of her family back home made more tears roll down her cheeks, which turned interested questions into concerned ones. But she managed to assure her family that she was okay, just tired and overwhelmed from the journey. 

She fell asleep not long after ending the call, though, tears still drying on her cheeks and in her hair. She had just enough presence of mind to take her glasses off before curling up on her bare mattress and letting herself sleep. She didn’t even wake up when her father came home and gently stroked her hair before spreading a blanket over her.

When Louisa woke up, her head was thumping and her mouth was dry. Outside her window, she was confused to see stars reflecting off of water. The memory of where she was hit her suddenly, and a deep sense of sadness sunk into her bones. She was so far from home now. She could have, probably should have, come here for a holiday to spend time with her father before just showing up. She wondered what her family would be doing now, having not figured out the time difference yet. Were they going about evening chores? Or just waking up for the day? Or sitting down to lunch, or dinner?

Louisa sat up, pushing the blanket off of herself, and slipped her glasses back on before padding out to the kitchen. At least the house was small, so she had no trouble navigating it. But she was surprised to find the light on, and a note on the table.

“There’s some leftovers in the microwave for you. Zap them for a minute or so. Don’t worry, I can sleep through a fire alarm, the microwave won’t wake me”

Louisa wiped tears from her eyes, sniffing, as she peeked at the food in the microwave and then reheated them. While she waited, she decided to try the water here and slake her thirst at the same time. It didn’t taste as good as the rainwater she was used to, but it was okay. As she ate at the small kitchen table, though, she was joined by a friend of the four-legged variety. 

“Oh, there you are, Tomo,” said Louisa, recognising the black cat that her dad often talked about. She wasn’t sure if he was allowed to sit on the table, but she did pull her plate closer towards herself. “Mine.” The cat meowed at her. Louisa ignored him, even ignoring his paws trying to pat at her face, and finished her meal before rinsing the plate and standing it in the dishrack.

Louisa paused for several moments at the kitchen window, staring out at the stars that she could see above the rising slope of the fishing village. The stars weren’t as clear here as they were back home. But maybe that was just the atmosphere around the fishing village.

Tomo joined Louisa when she returned to her bed, waving his tail as he sat beside her. Louisa continued looking out at the stars, though. The way they reflected off the water was beautiful. Mesmerising. And a very good distraction from the homesickness that was already tugging at her heart. She missed Westie with a longing that she’d never felt before. Her horse had needed to stay behind for a while in quarantine, and then he’d need to be quarantined here for a while. She understood why, but… right now, she wanted nothing more than to explore this new land under the stars with her four-hoofed companion. She’d always gone for a ride before when she was feeling stressed or scared. Now, that option was gone, at least until tomorrow. Not that she thought she could sleep.


	6. Goldie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Louisa arrives at the Summer Camp and meets the horse who will change everything.

When Louisa had first arrived in Jorvik, her father had joked that he might need to wake her up when it was time for the summer camp at Moorland to start since it was such a long way there. But as it turned out, he didn’t need to. Louisa had often risen early at the farm, wanting to see the sunrise and make the most of the day before nightfall, and here in Jorvik, that tradition seemed intent to continue. Even after her internal clock had adjusted to the new timezone on the other side of the world. 

And so, on the day that the Moorland Summer Camp was set to begin, Louisa was up with the sun. She wasn’t sure if it was five or six, but she could hear her father moving around in the kitchen. She pushed the covers aside, disturbing the sleeping Tomo beside her, and padded over the floorboards until she reached the kitchen. It was a chilly morning, but she knew that it’d get warmer later. She’d checked the time and weather many times during the past few weeks that she’d been here, trying to give herself the best idea of what to wear when it came to staying warm or cool. The temperatures never quite reached the heights they could back home in Australia, though. It was almost a blessing, really, knowing that she could wear jeans or riding breeches and not swelter in them.

“Morning,” said her father, looking up at her with a smile on his bearded face as she entered the kitchen. “Jug’s just boiled if you want a coffee.”

“Thanks,” said Louisa, giving him a smile as she poured herself a mug of coffee and moved to start breakfast.

“I’ll take care of breakfast,” said her dad.

“Really?” Louisa asked. “I don’t mind making my own.”

“Nah, it’s your special day, I’ll cook you a decent breakfast,” said her dad. “Eggs, bacon, toast, the whole lot. Just like your mum makes.”

“Sure,” said Louisa, her voice tight as homesickness tugged at her heart again. And now, she knew that it would only get worse because she’d have to stay at Moorland Inn for the summer camp.

“Hey, it’ll be okay,” said her dad, hearing the note in her voice as he placed bacon in the skillet. “You’ll get fed just as well there, if not better. I’m sure the chefs at Moorland are better cooks than me.” He chuckled, but it was all Louisa could do not to cry.

“I’ll miss your cooking, though,” said Louisa. “Nobody cooks fish like you do.”

“You can come back for a visit anytime,” said her dad. “I’m sure they’d allow you that. Once you’ve proven that you can go out on your own and not get lost or get into any trouble, anyway.”

“I’d better be on my best behaviour, then,” said Louisa with a laugh that she didn’t really feel.

“And you can call me anytime,” said her dad. “I should be around, I usually go out fishing in the middle of the night. And if not, I’ll always call you back.”

“Thanks, dad,” said Louisa. She felt a little better, knowing that he’d at least still be contactable. And she knew that she’d feel better still as soon as she’d eaten. Food always helped with that, she’d noticed. Just part of the reason that she’d often brought freshly-baked goods with her on trail rides to share with friends, or when she’d brought brownies or cookies to friends whenever they were feeling down. She wondered, idly, if she’d be able to take over the kitchen to bake something at Moorland. Maybe she’d gather the courage and ask, if things got that bad.

Louisa’s doubts returned again after breakfast, though, when her dad took her to Goldenleaf Stables to fetch horses for the two of them. Her dad rode a bay Hanoverian, while Louisa took a chestnut Trakehner that reminded her sorely of the horse that she’d had to leave behind. Hopefully, he’d be here soon.

“Off to the camp already?” Karin, the person in charge of the stables, asked upon seeing them.

“Yep, time’s really flown,” said Louisa’s dad. “Feels like just yesterday she got here.”

“It really has,” said Louisa. “And yeah, it’s time for the camp. I’m a bit nervous.”

“Aww, no need to be nervous,” said Karin, giving her a friendly grin. “Thomas is friendly, even with the drama that’s been happening there lately. But this camp was his and his wife’s dream, so it’s not going to close down no matter what happens.”

“What kind of drama?” Louisa asked. Her father chuckled.

“Just focus on having fun there, don’t try to fix that situation,” said her dad. Louisa blushed, though she was amused at how easily he saw through her. Like father, like daughter.

“Alright, I will,” said Louisa. “I’m just curious, that’s all.”

“Well, we’ll never find out if we stand around gas bagging,” said her dad. “Let’s go.”

“Thanks for lending us these horses, Karin,” said Louisa as she mounted her mare. Her father seemed to have a little more trouble, not having ridden before.

“Hey, no problem,” said Karin. “Just don’t forget about us when you’re having fun in Moorland, you hear?” Louisa laughed.

“I won’t,” said Louisa. “I don’t think I could ever forget this place.” Golden Hills already felt like home, with its golden mist wreathing the trees just about everywhere. It was thickest in Goldenleaf Forest, though.

Even as Louisa rode through the Silverglade area, marvelling at just how wonderfully green everything was, she still couldn’t quite forget the golden area that she’d just left behind her. Her dad tried to tell her about the area as they rode, but most of it went over Louisa’s head. It was all just so… big. Endless fields, soaring mountains, water that she wasn’t sure counted as a river…

And everywhere, no matter which small area they passed through, there were horses. Hundreds and hundreds of horses, and with them, people on horseback. Louisa heard so many different accents and knew that she’d fit in here, even seeing a few rainbow wristbands adorning some people. There were people here like her. People who loved horses, people who loved those of the same gender…

“See? I knew you’d cheer up on the ride here,” said her dad, seeing how her face lit up and how she sat a little straighter in the saddle as they neared Moorland. She hadn’t had much time to ride since she’d arrived here, thanks to not knowing the area and her dad being too busy fishing or doing other things to guide her around. And thanks to Louisa feeling too shy to ask anyone here for help.

“Riding always helps,” said Louisa. “I’ll remember that.”

“And hey, one day, you’ll figure out how to get back to me,” said her dad. “But take your time, don’t want you getting lost.”

“If I don’t get lost in the area around here first,” said Louisa, gazing around at the lush greenery that surrounded Moorland Stables. There were so many trees, and this area looked so open.

“You might have to ask someone for directions,” said her dad. “Or who knows, you might make some friends and bring them to meet me. I don’t mind the company.”

“I hope so,” said Louisa. “Anyway, I should go sign in and get my horse. I wonder what breed it’ll be, what it’ll look like, if I’ll get a mare or a gelding, how old it’ll be…”

“Go have fun,” said her dad. “You can call me tonight and tell me all about it. And tell me if you forgot to bring anything.” Louisa laughed. She’d brought a change of clothes, some books, and, of course, her Starshine plushie. She was just sad that she hadn’t been allowed to bring Tomo, but he was her dad’s cat and she didn’t want to leave him all alone.

“Bye, dad,” said Louisa, hugging him once they’d both dismounted. “I’ll call you tonight.”

“Can’t wait to hear all about it,” said her dad, grinning as he kissed her cheek. “And I’ll see you when I see you.” Louisa gave him one more bright grin before taking her smaller suitcase and heading over to the sign-in area.

After putting her things away, Louisa was given barely a moment to rest before a voice called for all Summer Camp members to gather in the courtyard to meet the other riders, instructors, and the horse that would be theirs for the summer or longer if things turned out okay.

“And you must be Louisa,” said the portly older gentleman who greeted the group. Louisa nodded.

“Yep, that’s me,” said Louisa. “Louisa Mcburg.”

“Nice to meet you,” said the older man, shaking her hand in his much larger gloved one. “I’m Thomas Moorland, the owner of these fine stables. Normally, it would be my son showing you to your horse but…” He sighed, and Louisa sensed (but did not pry into) something much deeper in that sigh. “Hopefully I can do this just as well as him. I swear, he has a knack for it.”

“Well, I’m sure he got it from someone,” said Louisa.

“Heh, glad to see that you’re optimistic,” said Thomas. “If you’ll follow me, I’ll show you to your assigned horse.”

As Louisa followed Thomas, she heard him murmuring something to himself, though she couldn’t make out what it was. It didn’t sound like any language that she’d ever seen before.

Thomas walked over to a paddock that held many beautiful horses (though sadly it held very few chestnuts) and, after asking Louisa to wait outside, walked around until he stopped in front of a buckskin pinto stallion. The horse took the halter so easily, walking after Thomas obediently.

“I think this is your one,” said Thomas. “If I did that right, anyway.”

“He’s beautiful,” said Louisa, holding her hand out to the horse’s soft muzzle. “What breed is he?”

“A Jorvik Warmblood,” said Thomas. “Most of the summer camp horses are. And this one is called… Goldmist, I think it was. He’s a stallion but oddly gentle. Hope you like him.”

“I do,” said Louisa. As the horse’s muzzle touched her hand, she felt something pass through her. A sensation that she’d never felt before, like what she felt with Westie but magnified. Thomas must have seen something in her eyes, because he let out a relieved sigh and muttered ‘praise Aideen’.

“Right, now take him over to Jenna and she’ll give you some pointers on riding around this area,” said Thomas, pointing to a blonde woman who was currently swamped by a small crowd of teenage girls. “You know, I’m so glad you already know how to ride. That makes this whole thing so much easier.”

“I’ve been riding all my life,” said Louisa. “Though I prefer the western style of riding. It’s what I grew up with.”

“Josh’ll be happy to hear it,” said Thomas. “Oh, and Loretta might give you a hard time about Justin but there is absolutely nothing between them.”

“Fine by me,” said Louisa. “I don’t swing that way, anyway.”

“I think you’ll fit in here just fine,” said Thomas, smiling at her. “Feel free to explore, introduce yourself to some of the staff and other people here, make some friends. That’s what this place is all about, after all. And get to know Goldie, you’ll be seeing a lot of him in the future.”

It was strange, the effect Goldie had on Louisa even as she just rode him around the stable area. With him, she didn’t feel any of that homesickness. It was at the back of her mind, almost like it was being pushed away by something else. She was glad for it. If she had Goldie, she knew, everything would be okay. She could feel it in her bones.


	7. Midsummer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Louisa experiences her first Midsummer with her first friends in Jorvik.

It didn’t take long for Louisa to do as her father had suggested and make friends. Though, it wasn’t in the traditional, expected way at all. After the first one, anyway. The first one, Viktor, she’d admittedly met while at Jorvik Stables. Johanna had warned her about a ‘dangerous’ horse that was in the paddock, which had prompted Viktor to march over to rant about how Phantom wasn’t a vicious horse, he was just misunderstood. Seeing how passionate he was about his horse (and how right he was about the surprisingly-gentle gelding), Louisa had clicked with him immediately.

Her other friends, though… well, after discovering her healing abilities following a fall from Goldmist near Moorland, the druids had set Louisa to work practicing her healing magic with the druids of the Star Circle. She’d met Daine when he’d been brought into the druid infirmary suffering from a broken arm, and the rest had been met mostly through other druid business. Hardly what Louisa had expected upon moving to Jorvik but, well, at least she had plenty to tell her Aideenist aunt.

But there were some parts of Jorvik that were unfamiliar and yet still utterly human. Like the large, flower-and-leaf covered pole being erected in the land above Moorland, up near Jasper’s old barn that he’d apparently lived in for years before Louisa’s arrival. Louisa still knew only the basics of that, but that was fine. She was having enough trouble just finding her feet without being dragged into other things. Not that it stopped the druids.

This, though, was interesting. Louisa gazed up at the pole, wondering what all of the commotion up there was about, and rode Goldmist towards it. But her phone buzzed with a message from the group chat (that she rarely spoke in) and Louisa slowed Goldie to a stop so that she could read the message.

“Midsummer time!” Willow had posted. “We should go, it’ll be fun.”

“I dunno,” Daine texted. 

“Daniel don’t make me come over there and drag you out,” Willow quickly texted back. Their bickering had worried Louisa at first, but now, she was used to it and only smiled at the angry face emoji that Daine sent back.

“What’s Midsummer?” Louisa asked.

“Yes please explain to the newbies,” Viktor texted. Louisa smiled, glad that she wasn’t the only one confused.

“It’s this big party Jorvik puts on every year,” Daine texted. Louisa hesitated. She wasn’t normally one for parties, not really. Give her a good book or a good trail ride any day.

“There’s a lot more to it than that but basically yes,” Willow texted. “You should come, Louisa.”

“Sounds fun, count me in,” Viktor texted.

“Ok,” Louisa texted after taking a deep breath. “I’ll come. Are we meeting there or where?”

“We’ll meet there,” Willow decided. “Just wear whatever, they sell some traditional stuff there and I heard there’s a station to make your own flower crowns there.”

“That sounds lovely,” Louisa texted, remembering the flower crowns that she’d made with her friends and sisters when she’d been younger. “When are we meeting?”

“Tomorrow,” Willow decided. “Gives us time to take the day off and get ready.”

“See you then,” Louisa texted, feeling excitement edging out her anxiety. Part of her wanted to check this out first, but… a larger part of her wanted to experience it first with friends. No matter how much the music tempted her to go up there and dance or watch the musicians play.

But there were always horses to train and people to help out, so Louisa turned her back on the celebrations and rode away.

The next day was the first time in a while that Louisa had wondered what to wear. She stood in her inn room, holding up different shirts and jeans while her Starshine plushie was turned to face the wall. She’d seen some Jorvegians layer, though she also knew that today would be a bit warm. At last, though, she decided on a black t-shirt depicting a horse with a red flannel worn over the top and a nice pair of black jeans that she’d bought in the Jorvik City Mall. She only had her ankle boots so chose those, though she wondered for a few moments if she should wear her Akubra that she’d brought from home. It would look cute with a flower crown around it, though.

Louisa was the first to arrive at the Midsummer site, being the one who lived closest to it at the moment. Maybe someday, she’d move elsewhere, once she was more familiar with the island. It was traditional to stay at the Moorland inn, but, with more people arriving every day, it was getting a little crowded there.

It was less crowded up here at the Midsummer site, though. But there were a lot of strangers, and Louisa felt very out of place at first. Nobody else was wearing a hat, maybe she should take hers off? She didn’t feel like dancing around the maypole, though, that seemed… silly. She was probably too old for that.

The flash of Hawkeye’s white mane was a definite sight for sore eyes as Willow rode her gelding into the Midsummer site. She dismounted, grinning and waving at Louisa.

“Hey,” said Louisa, raising her hand with a smile of her own.

“You look very gay today, if I may say so,” said Willow.

“You may,” said Louisa with a grin.

“Did you get your ‘true love’ revealed at that tent over there?” Willow asked, pointing to a green and blue striped tent.

“No,” said Louisa. “How do I do that?”

But, before Willow could tell her, Daine and Hollis arrived, pulling their horses to a hard stop.

“Ha, I win!” Hollis boasted, her eyes flashing. Daine scowled at her.

“Did you guys seriously have to race here?” Willow asked, frowning at them.

“Only way to convince him to come,” said Hollis. She dismounted, Daine following suit.

“Shut up,” Daine grumbled. He glanced at the stage, then quickly away again.

“I’m just glad we’re all here,” said Willow. “The others will come later, too, of course, I just figured Louisa might want a smaller group for her first Midsummer.”

“Yeah,” said Louisa with a laugh. “Thanks.”

“No problem,” said Willow, giving her a smile. “I think Vik should be here soon, he was getting the ferry over since that’s faster. And because he prefers it.”

“I think Roo’s coming later with Ariana,” said Hollis. “That’s what she told me, anyway.”

“Probably better that the quieter ones are in the first group,” said Willow. Louisa nodded, grateful for it. 

“I’m here!” Viktor called as he arrived a few minutes later, slowing Phantom to a stop.

“Hi,” said Louisa, feeling so much better now that her best friend was here. She still wasn’t sure about the others, but Viktor already felt like family. Maybe it was because they both had a past with horses, though Viktor was tight-lipped about his. That and the fact that they’d both recently just moved here and were having trouble finding their way in more than one sense of the word.

“Right, now that we’re all here, let’s go looking for flowers to make flower crowns,” said Willow, leading them over to a small table that held not only several small wooden bowls but also a map that was dotted with a few different flowers. “Which crown do you wanna make, Louisa? Viktor?”

“What if I made a rainbow one?” Louisa asked. “One of each?”

“That’s fine, I wanted to ride over the whole map today,” said Daine with a sigh. Willow elbowed him. “Fucking Christ, wanna try a little higher next time?”

“I missed on purpose,” said Willow, but her voice changed to a lighter tone when she looked at Louisa. “But that’s one good way to explore Jorvik, isn’t it? Finding flowers?”

“Of course, you’d say that,” said Viktor with a grin. “But we have to make shell crowns at some point.”

“Shell crowns?” Louisa asked. Viktor gaped at her. “I’m from a small country town in Australia, leave me alone.” The laughter of her friends warmed her from the inside, like a warm hug.

“Okay, fine, flower search today,” said Viktor. “And you’re right, Willow, exploring the map by finding flowers is a great idea.”

“I’ll even give you some tips for finding your way while we’re out and about,” said Willow. “Like, landmarks and such. How does that sound?”

“Yes, please,” said Louisa, grinning at her friend. Willow moved away from the small table to hug her friend, making Louisa’s heart skip a beat. Willow always smelled like flowers and grass, ever since she’d met her. It was a very nice scent.

“Looks like Moorland is closest?” Viktor asked, looking to Willow for guidance. She nodded, pulling away from Louisa. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll lead the way,” said Willow. She took one of the flower maps from the table and the group set off in search for flowers. Since meeting her friends, Louisa hadn’t felt the homesickness as strongly. Having company definitely helped, especially such good company. Even if Willow and Daine bickered a lot, and Viktor and Daine were prone to bouts of sadness, and Louisa still felt very out of place being on the other side of the world. But she had friends now. She was putting down roots. And that… that definitely counted for something. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all.


	8. Nothing But Trouble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While out exploring the mountains behind the winery, Louisa stumbles across a lost little foal.

A year ago, when Louisa had first come to Jorvik, she’d have gotten lost just in Moorland. So now, to be riding around the larger Silverglade area, out around the winery, no less… well, she felt like she’d finally grown up. Even if she did still sleep with a plushie, but her Starshine plush was special. Or maybe it was just the winery itself that made Louisa feel more grown up. When she’d been younger, she’d gone to a few wineries belonging to friends or friends of the family. Only, being so little, she hadn’t exactly known that it was a winery. She’d only seen the fancy buildings, the mansion, the glorious rolling green fields and rows and rows of grapes… and there had been that smell in the air that she now knew to be the smell of wine coming from barrels that had been cut in half to become garden planters.

Now, as an adult, Louisa still didn’t go to a winery for the reason that it was there. Contrary to the stereotype, she was an Australian who didn’t drink. Another reason that she wouldn’t have been happy in the rodeo scene, she guessed. Everyone was drinking and smoking, and Louisa would have been in the stable, talking to her horse and being left out of all the fun. At least here in Jorvik, and especially among her new friends, drinking wasn’t exactly encouraged. Those who drank did so casually, not trying to get anyone else to try it unless they seemed willing. And those who smoked had the good sense to stay away from the main group and at least pop a breath mint before coming back (though Willow had pelted Daine with breath mints until he’d gotten the hint the first few times). But the winery itself was mostly used by sophisticates (which her friends were distinctly not).

Though Louisa wasn’t even near the winery for that reason today. She just liked the look of the place, and the smell of the grapes, and there was a lot of work there on Fridays, as well as the races that ran there every day. It reminded her of her childhood in the best way. Only, the wineries of her childhood hadn’t been surrounded by such interesting-looking mountains…

Almost without thinking, Louisa turned Goldie to ride up into the mountains, skirting around the ugly oil drilling site that had since closed down. It was still there, though. Evidence of GED’s crimes against nature were everywhere around Jorvik, and it boiled Louisa’s blood to see it. This place was so beautiful, and they were destroying it in the relentless pursuit of… what? Oil? Coal? Some other mysterious substance or mineral that existed only here on Jorvik? Nobody had been able to answer that question, unfortunately.

Around an oddly-shaped rock, Louisa found a part of the mountain that looked like Goldie could climb it easily enough. She knew this horse now almost as well as Westie, who had finally arrived near the end of last year. The best birthday present ever, though he wasn’t the best for exploring the land since he still didn’t know it well. And there was something else with Goldie, too. Sometimes, Louisa swore that he spoke to her, guiding her gently in the right direction to go or the right route on a particularly tricky trail.

Louisa rode up the mountain slowly, looking around at the trees and rocks up here. It wasn’t as rocky here as it was back home, and she was still getting used to the different plants and landscape. She loved it, it was just different. At first, all she could hear was birdsong and the sound of wind whispering through the pine trees. Until a panicked whinny cut through the sound of nature.

“What was that?” Louisa asked, Goldie’s ears swivelling as he looked around with her. He nickered, as if to say that they should go looking. Louisa waited until she heard the sound again, then clucked Goldie forward and followed the direction that the sound had come from. At least it didn’t sound like the foal was in pain, but Louisa became increasingly concerned as the terrain grew rockier and began to slope downwards.

When Goldie came to a sudden stop, Louisa gasped and her eyes grew wide as she looked all the way down into a rocky ravine. The ground was littered with pine branches and pine needles, small rocks that skittered down around Goldie’s hooves, and- a foal that raised its head in another whinny. All that Louisa could see of him was his little white rump, the bay patches on him, and the little shock of black that was his little stub of a tail. The foal whinnied up at her again, rearing up onto its hind legs.

“Oh no, poor little guy,” Louisa cooed. She looked around, heart thumping as she tried to think of some way that she could save the foal. She always carried a length of rope with her just in case of emergencies, so she could tie the rope around her waist and try to abseil down into the ravine, but how would she get the foal back up? Unless she called a friend to help her, or…

Louisa had dismounted while she’d been thinking, and now held the rope in her hands, chewing on her bottom lip while she wracked her brain for what to do. Goldie nudging her hand jolted her out of her thoughts.

“Huh?” Louisa asked, looking at her horse. He lipped at the rope that she held, trying to snag the end of it between his teeth. “Wait, you wanna hold it? Are you sure?” Goldie nickered, seeming to nod his head. “Alright, I hope you can hold my weight…” Well, if nothing else, her phone worked here, so she could call a friend for help if Goldie couldn’t handle both her weight and the foal’s.

After measuring the rope to ensure that it would work (it would), Louisa tied the tope around her waist with shaking fingers and looped the rest of it around a nearby tree. Goldie gripped the other end in his teeth, giving her a steady look that was somehow reassuring.

“Okay,” said Louisa, taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm herself down. “I can do this, it can’t be any harder than pulling a calf out of a dam.” Which she’d done so many times before. But her legs still trembled as Louisa carefully walked herself down the edge of the ravine with only the rope and Goldie’s strength protecting her from the hard, unforgiving ground below.

Just as Louisa reached the bottom, though, a little nose touched her elbow, making her shriek and fall the rest of the way. More tiny pebbles skittered down the edge of the ravine as Goldie slid forward a little and gave a concerned nicker.

“I’m okay!” Louisa called up to him as she stood on shaky legs. She looked at the foal, who looked at her as though he hadn’t just frightened the life out of her by nosing her elbow. He seemed oddly fine for a foal who had apparently fallen in here. There wasn’t a scratch on him, and he didn’t appear to be favouring any legs or hooves. He seemed just like any other foal. Just at the bottom of a ravine.

“Right,” said Louisa, watching the foal. “Come on, little guy, let’s get you out of here.” The foal whinnied and leaped away from her, making Louisa scowl at him. “Come on, you can’t stay down here forever.” The foal bounced away from her, then began to run laps of the ravine, giving happy little squeals and bounces every so often. If Louisa wasn’t so worried about getting him out of here, it would have been adorable.

Louisa tried snatching at the foal every time he ran past, but he always managed to slip right out of her hands. She scowled at him. “Right, that’s it.” Untying the rope from around her waist for the moment, Louisa gave chase, her feet slipping out from under her several times on the pine needles and leaving her with a definite graze on her chin and elbows. She was sure she bit her tongue at one point. But, finally, Louisa almost tackled the foal, who gave a panicked whinny. 

“Gotcha,” said Louisa, grinning in triumph. The foal licked her cheek. “Ew, gross.”

Mercifully, catching the foal seemed to end the game, as he stood still while Louisa tied the rope back around her waist and then allowed her to take him into her arms. He was a bit heavier than a muddy calf, that was for sure. But it was only until Louisa got him out of the ravine, and then she tied the rope in a makeshift halter and ponied him with Goldie back over to the manor.

“My gosh, girl, you look like you’ve been in the wars,” said the Baroness when she saw Louisa.

“Yeah, rescuing this little guy from a ravine,” said Louisa. “Or a ditch, I guess. A deep ditch. I found him in the mountains behind the winery, do you know if anyone’s missing a horse?”

“Oh, well, he’s not from here, of course,” said the Baroness. “We don’t do pintos here. Possibly he’s from that Marley’s farm, he’s always been terrible at keeping an eye on horses.”

“I’ll ask him,” said Louisa. “Thanks, anyway.”

But Marley didn’t recognise the foal either, nor did Steve, or Will up at the mill, or any of the Silverglade Village residents, or even anyone in Valedale. 

“Maybe you should keep him,” said Thomas when Louisa returned to Moorland after still having no luck. “I’m sure we can find room for him here, as long as you look after him and train him.”

“Really?” Louisa asked.

“Mm-hm,” Thomas hummed affirmatively as he nodded. “I think you’ve got it in you. You did say you used to live on a ranch, didn’t you?”

“Yeah,” said Louisa. “I’ve just never raised a foal myself before.”

“See it as a good learning experience,” said Thomas. “And know that if you ever need any help, there are plenty of us willing to give you some tips or even lend a hand.”

“Thank you,” said Louisa, emotions swelling up inside her. She tried not to cry, though. “I guess I’ve gotten myself a four-legged son, huh?”

“Welcome to motherhood,” said Thomas with a chuckle. And only a few tears overflowed as Louisa shared in his laughter.


End file.
